4 minute read
What I learnt going sober
WHAT I LEARNT GOINGsober
Founder of Sober Girl Society, Millie Gooch, shares her booze-free journey and how she built a community of over 170,000 women looking to ditch alcohol
ALMOST 1 in 5 adults said they were participating in Dry January this year, and with people beginning to take health more seriously as more zero-alcohol alternatives pop up in supermarkets, it’s worth questioning if once day we could be a completely booze-free nation.
After giving up alcohol in 2018 age 26 (arguably peak partying time!), Millie Gooch has gone on to become an Author, ambassador for Alcohol Change UK, and is inspiring women across the UK to take the leap, thanks to her community, Sober Girl Society. The group aims to show people that life can be fun without drinking, and regularly host meet-ups, booze-less brunches, and resources for those looking to ‘bin the gin’.
“I decided to stop drinking because of the impact that alcohol and hangovers were having on my mental health,” Millie told us. “I wasn’t an everyday drinker but a party girl bingedrinker – but when I did, I always took it too far and never knew when to stop! I would far exceed the recommended weekly 14 units in just one night and then I’d feel so embarrassed I wouldn’t drink for a week or so – and then once I felt better, I’d do it all again.”
Six months later, Sober Girl Society was born and in three years has since grown to over 170,000 followers on Instagram alone, connecting women globally, and helping them on their own paths to sobriety. “The most important thing I’ve learned is that sobriety is actually just the beginning,” Millie adds. “I realised pretty quickly after stopping that I was drinking to ease anxiety and depression, to feel some sort of relaxed state where I wasn’t stressed or overthinking, I was also using it for confidence. When you take alcohol away you really have to tackle those things and as a result my mental health and confidence are so much better, meaning I don’t really feel the need to turn to alcohol. beer alternative. I’m also a massive fan of kombucha!”
But despite the fun antics of Sober Girl Society (in fact, just last year Millie published her first book on the power of a hangover-free life), there’s still a long way to go. According to Alcohol Change UK, 24% of adults in England and Scotland regularly drink over the Chief Medical Officer’s low-risk guidelines, and 27% of drinkers in Great Britain binge drink on their heaviest drinking days (over 8 units for men and over 6 units for women). That’s not to say that drinking equals bad of course, because most of us do love a prosecco on a social occasion, but a change in alcohol attitudes could be the key to better mental and physical health.
“I think people need to realise that sobriety isn’t really about giving something up because you actually gain so much when you stop drinking. We always view it as a loss but it’s quite the opposite for me – I have more time, more money, stronger relationships and I’m happier,” Millie says of the wider societal shift.
Her advice for anyone getting sobercurious? “There is a whole corner of the internet out there that many people don’t know about dedicated to sobriety and sober curiosity – everything from courses, podcasts, influencers – even If it’s just to break up your Instagram feed from relentlessly tempting boozy brunch posts!” It’s well worth making a case for.
“I think when you stop drinking it can feel really isolating and there is so much power in finding like-minded people so that you don’t feel alone. The accountability is great for some people but really, it’s the support they appreciate the most.”
“Does that mean I’m boring?” is definitely a huge barrier for anyone who’s ever been sober curious, but by putting on wake-up clubs (a safe space to talk about all things alcohol-free), dance classes, and other social events, Millie is out to challenge the narrative that you can’t have fun without drinking. “When I was drinking my life was just: go out, drink to excess and spend the entire weekend hungover and having an existential crisis. Now my weekends are so varied and I do so many new and different things - I even started a series on TikTok called wholesome fun to showcase all the fun things you can do outside of bars and clubs.”
She’s even built up a roster of go-to 0% tipples that you’d struggle to tell the difference with: “I love Caleño as a gin alternative, Noughty as a sparkling wine alternative and Lucky Saint as a
Join the sober fun over on Instagram
